CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction’s girls basketball team concluded the 2022 portion of the schedule with a statement victory.
Overcoming a double-digit deficit, Carl Junction put together an inspired fourth quarter rally to earn a 69-55 come-from-behind victory over Strafford on Friday night in a clash between state-ranked squads with Final Four aspirations.
“I’m just proud of them,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said after his team’s hard-fought win. “We’ve played seven games in nine days, and the girls have been studying for finals this week, too. They may be a little tired. We probably came out a little flat tonight, but we did what we needed to do in the second half to win the game. And this is a great win for our team.”
Fueled by hot-shooting from long range, the Indians built an 11-point lead in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs trailed by three at halftime and were clinging to a one-point cushion entering the fourth quarter.
But the hosts owned the final frame, as Carl Junction outscored Strafford 21-8 in the final eight minutes.
“Our kids were working really hard in our matchup zone and Strafford started missing some shots,” Shorter said. “That proved to be the difference in the game.”
Ranked fourth in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, the Bulldogs hiked their record to 9-1.
Ranked second in Class 3, Strafford fell to 6-2. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak.
EARLY DEFICIT, LATE RALLY
Playing on their home court for the first time since Dec. 1, the Bulldogs found themselves down 8-0 at the start of the game.
After the Bulldogs tied the contest at 12, the Indians rattled off the final eight points of the opening frame for a 20-12 advantage.
Strafford took a 26-15 lead at the 6:27 mark of the second quarter after a 3-pointer from Lauren Jones. The trey was her team’s sixth of the first half.
The Bulldogs regrouped and finished the first half on a spirited 12-4 run, pulling within three by intermission.
During that second quarter surge, Carl Junction senior guard Destiny Buerge scored seven points, while juniors Kylie Scott and Anna Burch and sophomore DeShaye Buerge also contributed points.
Also of note, the Bulldogs missed eight free throws in the first half.
Carl Junction outscored Strafford 21-17 in a back and forth and entertaining third period that featured seven lead changes.
Hoops inside by sophomore Dezi Williams and Scott, along with a trey from Destiny Buerge gave Carl Junction a 48-47 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Bulldogs appeared to hit another gear in the fourth quarter, while the Indians appeared to run out of gas.
Providing a needed spark, Williams scored the first two hoops of the fourth period, the second off a steal, and the Bulldogs never trailed the rest of the way.
“Dezi came up big for us again tonight,” Coach Shorter said. “She’s very athletic, she’s coachable and she gets after it. I’m very proud of her. She’s playing really well.”
Carl Junction took control from there with one final spurt.
A trey from Destiny Buerge, an old-fashioned 3-point play from Scott, a layup from Klohe Burk, a strong drive through the lane by Buerge and a putback by Williams capped a 17-7 run for CJ.
That key surge made it 65-54 with just over two minutes to play and all but sealed the win.
Strafford had several empty possessions in a row in the fourth quarter, and a late layup from Burk gave the hosts a 67-54 advantage with a minute to go. Williams, Scott and senior Hali Shorter all came up with big rebounds down the stretch.
“Strafford’s a tradition-rich program,” Coach Shorter said. “They’ve won several state championships in the last six years or so. Their kids play extremely hard and we knew it was going to be a tough game.”
The Indians made 12 3-pointers in the game, but just one of those treys came in the fourth quarter.
“They’ve got a number of kids who can shoot it,” Coach Shorter said of the Indians. “They rebounded well and our kids had to really work and fight tonight. But that’s what we needed. That’s why we scheduled Strafford. We scheduled Strafford and the three tournaments so we can prepare our kids for a tough conference schedule and so we can get them ready for the postseason. Our kids are battle-tested.”
NAMES & NUMBERS
A Pittsburg State signee, Destiny Buerge poured in a game-high 33 points. She made five 2-pointers and five 3-pointers to go along with 8-of-11 free throws.
Williams contributed 14 points, with 12 coming in the second half. The 6-3 Scott added 11 points and Burk had eight.
Jones scored 24 points for Strafford and Elsie Larsen had 12. Brooklyn Adney and Laney Humble added nine points apiece.
2022 FINALE, STELLAR START TO SEASON
It’s been an impressive start to the winter campaign for the Bulldogs, who have won two of three tournaments.
Carl Junction has won nine of 10 games, with the lone loss coming when the team was not at full strength in the title game of the Taco Bell Tournament of Champions.
The Bulldogs are now off until Jan. 2, when CJ will return to action with a date at district foe McDonald County.
Coach Shorter noted he’s been pleased with the first stretch of the season.
“Our kids are a lot of fun to coach and our team chemistry is really good,” Coach Shorter said. “I think our kids are enjoying this season, and I think we’ve learned a lot. I think our kids are progressing and I think our kids are excited about a long Christmas break.”
